Safety razor



'Original application Febrnary 15,

ten dfiee 2,710,447 Patented .lune 14, 1955 sarnrv nazoa Philip H. Borden, Stratford, Conn, assignor to Central Industrial Corporation, Memphis, Tenn, a corporation of Tennessee 1950, Serial No. 144,278. Divided and this application lane 21, 1951, Serial No. 232,77 tl This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in safety razor equipment and particularly relates to a device for supporting razor blades adapted for use with means for automatically effecting exchange of razor blades as desired.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 144,278, filed February 15, 1950, now

abandoned, and continued in co-pending application Serial No. 343,952, filed March 23, i953, and is a continuation in part of and improvement upon the inventions disclosed and described in copending application Serial No. 201,351, filed December 18, 1950. l

The principal object of the invention is to provide a razor blade supporting head and handle, including new and novel blade engaging means, and a new and novel arrangement by which the head is shiftably connected to Fig. l is a front View of the preferred form of razor blade-supporting head of the invention with an upper fragment of the handle shown attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side or end elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the razor blade-supporting head and a blade supported thereon with a portion of the blade broken away for purposes of illustration.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of. one

end of the razor blade-supporting head illustrating the blade engaging means in released position.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a variation in releasable blade engaging means.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the variation of Fig. 7 with the blade engaging means in released position.

-Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating a variation in the head positioning means.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, it will be seen that the invention preferably relates to equipment for use with double edge razorblades, although it is not limited thereto, and essentially incorporates a blade carrying razor head 26 and a handle 27.

Razor head 26 includes an underplate 31 which is provided with a substantially fiat upper surface, adapted to support a razor blade 32 which preferably is provided fin with a pair of apertures arranged in alined spaced relation substantially midway between the front and rear blade cutting edges and equally and oppositely spaced from the front to rear mid-line of such blade. The blade supporting face of under plate 31 is of slightly less width between its front and rear edges than the width of blade 32 in order to provide for the projection of the blade cutting edges beyond the edges of the supporting face, and plate 31, along the front and rear edges of the blade supporting face, is downwardly rolled to provide guard bars 35, plate 31 preferably being cut out and further folded along the front and rear edges of the blade supporting face to provide slots 36, underlying the respective cutting edges of a supported blade 32 and above the respective guard bars, 35, and depending front and rear flanges 3'7. At its opposite sides plate 31 is downwardly turned to form depending side flanges 38 which are stamped out as at 39 to provide pivot bars 41 which ere tend transversely of plate 31.

Razor head 26 is provided at its opposite sides with releasable clamps 43 adapted to clampingly engage side portions of a blade 32 supported on plate 31 and to be rocked to outward release position out of engagement with such supported blade to effect release thereof, in order to permit removal of the blade from the supporting head. Each clamp 43 includes a transversely extending blade-engaging member 45, which, in the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, includes an upper portion and a depending 'flange 4'7 angularly joined to the upper portion, fiange'47 being vertically disposed normally in edge abutment along its lower edge with the upper face of a supported blade 32. Preferably the blade-engaging portion 45, including flange l7, extends transversely throughout a majority of the width of blade 32 and the angularly joined portions cooperate to form an operating element of angular cross section, spaced above pivot 41 and particularly adapted for effecting rocking, release movement of the clamps in the manner hereinafter described. At its frontandrear member 45 is preferably provided with blade-engaging fingers 43 which project respectively forwardly and rearwardly from member 45 and downwardly into contact with the upper face of blade 32 adjacent the corners thereof, corner engaging fingers 48 preferably each including a terminal portion adapted to overlie the edgeof the blade adjacent its corner to effect further engagement therewith. From the outer edge of the upper por tion of member 45 a downwardly extending outer portion 9 is provided which depends below flange 38 of plate 31 and terminates in an inwardly turned seat portion 56 which underlies the end of plate 31. At the forward and rearward ends of seat portion Eli are respectively formed upstanding tabs 51 which are apertured and are 'tur'nably mounted upon and supported by pivot bar 41. v

Preferably the elements comprising the clamp 43am integrated in a unitary assembly, although it is obvious that individual parts may be employed and otherwise connected without departing herefrom. It will be seen that by the mounting of clamp 43 upon pivot bar 41 through the medium of apertured tabs 51 the clamps may be rocked from a normal position in which portions 45 and 48 respectively engage the upper face of the supported blade, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, to an outer position in which the clamping engagement of the blade is released, as shown in Fig. 6. 1

In the variation illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, a razor head 26 is shown as provided with side clamps 43A which each include an inwardly projecting blade engaging portion 45A, an outer portion 49A connected to the outer edge of the blade engaging portion 45A and an inwardly projecting seat portion 50A underlying the end of plate 31, the seat portion 50A being provided with tabs 51 which engage pivot bars ll in th e manner already described. A lug portion 47A, consisting of an angularly formed member, preferably of substantially triangular cross section, connected to the inner end of seat portion 50A, and spaced from pivot 41, is provided for the operation of the clamps, inward movement of lug portions 47A effecting outward rocking of clamps 43A about pivots 41 to the blade release position illustrated in Fig. 8. Preferably the blade-engaging portion 45A includes corner engaging fingers substantially similar in arrangement and function to the fingers 48 heretofore mentioned.

A yoke-like member 53, carrying at its opposite sides upstanding studs 55, underlies and is seated against the under side of the central portion of plate 31 with studs 55 projecting upwardly through suitable apertures formed in plate 31, the studs being spaced similarly to the spacing of the blade apertures and adapted to extend into and through the blade apertures to limit movement of blade 32 relative to head 26. A leaf spring member 57 underlies and is seated against yoke 53 and extends from side to side of head 26, underlying plate 31. At its outer ends spring 57 bears against the underside of clamp seat portions 50, urging movement of clamps 43 about pivots 41 into normal clamping engagement with plate 31 or a blade 32 carried thereby, or the spring may be inverted for use with clamps 43A and bear against the upper sides of seat portions 50A, similarly urging clamps 43A into clamping engagement. Plate 31, yoke 53 and spring 57 are centrally apertured to receive a suitable attaching member, such as screw 59, by which the parts are attached to the top of a neck 60, by which head 26 is supported for use. The top of neck 60 is preferably formed with a fiat, intermediate face which bears tightly against the under side of leaf spring 57, and front and rear ribs 62 which are parallel to and are respectively set off rearwardly and forwardly from the front and rear edges of neck 60 forming front and rear shoulders 63. Ribs 62 are spaced apart to receive spring 57 therebetween respectively engaging the front and rear edges of the spring to prevent forward or rearward relative movement between spring 57 and neck 60. Depending front and rear flanges 37 of plate 31 respectively engage ribs 62 along their outer faces and prevent relative forward and rearward movement between plate 31 and neck 60. Preferably the lower edge V of flanges 37 seat on shoulders 63 and the upper edges of ribs 62 bear against the under side of plate 31, so that when attached as by screw 59 the parts are maintained in rigid attached relation.

Below the level of the depending portions of head 26, neck 60 is preferably provided with a pair of guide notches 64 which are respectively formed in the opposite sides of neck 60, and which extend from front to rear, are alined longitudinally below plate 31 and arranged in parallelism therewith. Guide notches 64 are adapted to engage cooperating guiding means, to support and guide head 26 during sliding movement thereof. Below notches 64, neck 60 is provided with a lower portion 65, the sides of which are fiat and the front and rear of which merge into an arcuate lower face 66. Lower portion 65 is embraced on opposite sides by upstanding cars 67 of handle 27, lower portion 65 being connected to cars 67 as by a pin 69 for forward and rearward rocking movement. Lower face 66 is preferably formed along an arc of approximately one hundred eighty degrees formed about pin 69 as a center, and face 66 is provided with a plurality of outwardly facing recesses 71 (including recesses 71X) which are preferably equally spaced apart along face 66. Below cars 67, handle 27 is chambered as at 73, the chamber housing a compression spring member 75 and a ball 77, ball 77 being urged outwardly of chamber 73 by spring 75 and being moved into yieldable engagement with one of recesses 71 when such recess is moved into register therewith upon rocking movement of the head and neck relative to the handle.

It will be seen that in the head and handle attachment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, head 26 and rigidly attached neck 60 may be rocked relatively to handle 27, lower neck portion 65 moving between handle ears 67, ball 77 being depressed into chamber 73 against the action of spring until a recess 71 is moved into register therewith when the action of spring 75 will force ball 77 into yielding engagement with such recess. In this manner head 26 may be positioned angularly relative to handle 27 and the selection of the position accurately indexed by the recesses 71 and the razor thus may be shifted to position a selected blade cutting edge in shaving position and retained in the selected position.

In the variation illustrated in Fig. 9, neck 60 is similarly attached to cars 67 by pin 69 for rocking movement. Positioning and retention of the head and neck in position is maintained by a spring member 75A, preferably a leaf spring, one end of which is fastened to the bottom of a chamber 73A formed in the handle and the opposite end of which is fixed in a recess or slot 71A formed in arcuate face 66A, recess 71A being positioned substantially on the vertical mid-line of neck 60. It will be observed that spring 75A is of a length slightly in excess of the distance between slot 71A and the bottom of chamber 73A in rocked position of head 26 and is, therefore, kept flexed and constantly urges movement of the head toward a position of greater angularity relative to handle 27, being limited in such movement by the abutment of spring 75A against the interior of chamber 73A.

In the use of the razor of the present invention, when a change of blade is desired, clamps 43 may be moved to the outer blade release position, used blade 32 removed, a new blade 32 substituted therefor, and the clamps 43 returned to clamping position to retain the blade on the head. This action may be accomplished by hand, although it is preferable and more convenient to employ a mechanical blade changer of the type described in application Serial No. 144,278 now continued as application Serial No. 343,952 for effecting these purposes which may include a casing 29. It will be seen that spring 57 resists the movement of clamps 43 away from clamping position until the clamps have been moved to the position substantially as shown in Fig. 6, and that thereafter spring 57 is effective to retain the clamps in release position. Upon return movement of the clamps from release position to clamping position substantially to the position of Fig. 6, spring 57 again becomes effective to urge the clamps into clamping position and to retain same in such position, holding blade 32 on head 26.

With the blade thus positioned on head 26 the head may be positioned at a desired position of angularity relative to handle 27 by rocking the head relatively to handle 27 about pivot pin 69, thereby effecting engagement between spring-loaded ball 77 and a selected recess 71.

It will be seen that this invention provides a razor head having rockably shiftable blade clamps pivoted to the head, preferably at the ends thereof, to overlie and engage the blade supported on the head, and including spring means urging the clamps into clamping position.

I claim:

1. In a safety razor, a head provided with a seat shaped to support a double-edge razor blade in shaving position, one or more studs projecting upwardly from the seat for interlocking engagement with the blade to index the latter on the seat when positioned against the same, a pair of complementary clamps above the seat rockably connected with the head for holding the blade down on the seat, which clamps are rockable from blade holding positions into positions wherein the blade is released to permit removal of the same from the seat, spring means beneath the seat for normally urging the clamps into their blade holding positions, said spring means extending substantially from end to end of said head, and a pair of movable operating members beneath the seat connected with the clamps for positively rocking the latter against the action of said spring means from their blade holding positions into their blade releasing positions.

2. In a safety razor, a head provided with a seat shaped to support a double-edge razor blade in shaving position, one or more studs projecting upwardly from the seat for interlocking engagement with the blade to index the latter on the seat when positioned against the same, a pair of complementary clamps above the seat rockably connected with the head for holding the blade down on the seat, which clamps are rockable from blade holding positions into positions wherein the blade is released to permit removal of the same from the seat, leaf spring means beneath the seat for normally urging the clamps into their blade holding positions, said leaf spring means extending substantially from end to end of said head, and a pair of movable operating members beneath the seat connected with the clamps for positively rocking the latter against the action of said spring means from their blade holding positions into their blade releasing positions, which operating members are separately movable and are separate- 1y connected with the clamps, whereby either of the clamps may be rocked independently of the other into its blade releasing position.

3. In a safety razor, a head provided with a seat shaped to support a double-edge razor blade in shaving position, stud means projecting upwardly from the seat for interlocking engagement with the blade to index the latter on the seat when positioned against the same, pivot means associated with said head, a pair of complementary clamps above the seat rockably mounted transversely of said head on said pivot means for holding the blade down on the seat, which clamps are rockable about said pivots from blade holding positions into positions wherein the blade is released to permit removal of the same from the seat, longitudinally disposed spring means beneath the seat for normally retaining the clamps in their blade holding positions, said spring means extending substantially from end to end of said head, and a pair of movable operating members beneath the seat connected with the clamps for positively rocking the latter about said pivots against the action of said resilient means from their blade holding position into their blade releasing positions.

4. In a safety razor a head adapted to support a razor blade on its upper surface, a pair of pivots adjacent and below opposite portions of the periphery of said head, a pair of clamp members having upper portions, for overlying said head and a blade supported thereon in blade holding position, and integral depending portions respec tively rockably engaging said pivots, said clamps being thereby rockably mounted on said pivots for movement to and from said blade holding position from and to a blade releasing position, a pair of movable operating members respectively coupled to said clamp members, and elongated spring means extending from end to end of said head, said spring means engaging said operating members adjacent the opposite ends of and below said head in said holding position and urging said operating members to position said clamp members in said holding position, said operating members being coupled to said clamp members for positively moving said clamp members against the action of said spring means toward said blade releasing position.

5. In a safety razor, a head adapted to support a razor blade on its upper surface, a pair of pivots adjacent and below opposite portions of the periphery of said head, a pair of clamp members having upper portions, for overlying said head and a blade supported thereon in blade holding position, and integral depending portions respectively rockably engaging said pivots, said clamps being thereby rockably mounted on said pivots for movement to and from said blade holding position from and to a blade releasing position, a pair of movable operating members respectively coupled to said clamp members,

said clamp member depending portions being interposed between said upper portions and said operating members, and spring means engaging said operating members adjacent the opposite ends of and below said head in said holding position and urging said operating members to position said clamp members in said holding position, said operating members being coupled to said clamp members for positively moving said clamp members against the action of said spring means toward said blade releasing position.

6. In a safety razor, a head adapted to support a razor blade on its upper surface, a pair of pivots adjacent and below opposite end portions of the periphery of said head, a pair of clamp members having upper portions, for overlying said head and a blade supported thereon in blade holding position, and integral depending portions respectively rockably engaging said pivots, said clamps being thereby rockably mounted on said pivots for movement to and from said blade holding position from and to a blade releasing position, a pair of movable operating members respectively coupled to said clamp members, said clamp member depending portions being interposed between said upper portions and said operating members, and elongated spring means extending substantially from end to end of said head, said spring means engaging said operating members adjacent the opposite ends of and below said head in said holding position and urging said operating members to position said clamp members in said holding position, said opertaing members being coupled to said clamp members for positively moving said clamp members against the action of. said spring means toward said blade releasing position.

7. Razor blade supporting means comprising a head having an upper face adapted to receive and support a razor blade, pivot means carried by said head below said face, clamp means forengaging a blade supported on said face, rockably mounted on said pivot means, and spring means attached to and extending substantially from end to end of said head below said face, engaging said clamp means and urging said clamp means toward said face to engage a blade supported by said face, said clamp means including fingers oppositely projecting from said clamp means above said face to engage the opposite edges of said face-supported blade; and an operating portion spaced from and extending below said pivot means in blade engaging position of said clamp means for rocking said clamp means out of blade engagement.

8. Razor blade supporting means comprising a head having an upper face adapted to receive and support a razor blade, pivot means carried by said head below said face, clamp means for engaging a blade supported on said face rockably mounted on said pivot means, and spring means attached to said head below said face, urging said clamp means toward said face to engage a blade supported by said face, said clamp means includingan operating portion extending below said pivot for rocking said clamp means out of blade engagement against the action of said spring means, said spring means being elongated and substantially coextensive with said head.

9. In a safety razor, a head provided with a seat shaped to support a razor blade in shaving position, one or more studs projecting upwardly from the seat for interlocking engagement with the blade to index the latter on the seat when positioned against the same, clamp means above the seat, pivot means attached to the head below said seat, said clamp means including means extending downwardly to engage said pivot means to mount said clamp means for movement from blade holding position into position wherein the blade is released to permit removal of same from the seat, spring means beneath the seat for normally urging the clamp means into blade holding position, and operating means extending below said pivot means beneath the seat in said blade holding position, said operating means being connected with the clamp means for positively moving the clamp means against the action of said spring means from blade holding position into blade releasing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Goodwin Dec. 31, 1918 

